The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-29
EXPRESS BUSINESS.
A Decision of the Interstate
Commission.
STATE OF THEREADING STRIKE
4 Report Concerning Australian
Wool One Also on italian silk
General News Items.
CONCERNING Express Companies.


WASHINGTON December % The de-
cision of the Inter State Commerce
Commission upon the ques ton ahethe 7
express companies are subject to the
provisions of the act - regulate COM
merce, was announced to-day. The
names and organizations Of the various
express companies doing business in
the United States are given
some of them being corporations
under state charters, some joint stock
companies differing little from partner
ships, some being bureaus organized as
branches of the railroad service, and
some combination of several railroads.
for the transaction of the gross ousI-
ness of their lines. There is nothing III
the nature of the express business
which prevents its being carried on by
All ordinary partnership, or even by
all individual, provided the necessary
contracts can be obtained With trans
portation lines. The most usual
contract is one which pays to the raj -
raid company 40 per cent. Of the gross
receipts OF the express. company. But
various other methoeD of settlement
are employed. Arguments urged by
being treated as subject to the act, are
considered in detail The fact that they
perform many other services besides
transportation of property, such as
collection of debts, etc., IS not regarded
as reason why the act should not be
treated as applying to their business, as
common carriers, since many railroad
companies also have other business be-
sides that of transporting. Various
sections of the act are considered
with relation to the express business,
and are found to BIS in theory as
applicable thereto as to the business of
abroad companies. In fact, express
companies are said to b. matter
concerning which the public have a
right TO be informed, and Congress
may particularly desire knowledge.
At present little is known about
the amount of their capital stock, their
funded debt of money invested in thei.
plant or business. The difficulty of
framing schedules for Information of
the public, is not found to be greater
than IN the case OF railroad companies
which have complied with the act.
Three express companies have
so complied, and their sob edules have
been placed on file. The bringing of
express companies within the pro-
visions of the act is found to be prac-
ticeble, and on some grounds, desirable.
Express companies which are simply
branches OF the railroad or2anlzod
and operated through it's ordinary
staff or by an Independent
bureau. or by combination with other
railroad companies, are found to be
covered by the provisions of the act. In
case of independently organized
express companies, however, operating
under contracts for transportation, the
language of the act, as it now stands,
is found to be so framed as not
bring them distinctly within its provi-
sions; the words wholly by railroad"
in the first section, do not well define
the business of the express companies,
which use very largely service of
teams, messenger stages and steam
boats. The pooling section applies to
pooling OF the business of railroads,
other sections speak of railroads con-
tinually. and of depots and stations,
the language not being applicable to
the business of express companies, ex-
ceDt under somewhat strained construc-
ton. The express business, as we'll
known at the time of the passage of
the act. and it has been frequently
mentioned by name, the Con-
gressional statutes omission to
name here is significant. A preliminary
investigation by the Interstate Com
MERGE Commission, did not include ex-
press companies. Upon all these con-
siderations the commission has thought
best to refer the subject to Congress as
III any case Of oubtful jurisdiction, it
10 better that the legislative body should
resolve the doubt.